


Bringing Her Home

by icecubez



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-07-25 16:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7539985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icecubez/pseuds/icecubez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 years ago Emma left her family without any explanation. 5 years later Henry has tracked her down and is bringing her home so she can get back with Regina and so Regina won't marry Robin.<br/>A/U, no magic.<br/>SQ endgame.<br/>Emma and Regina were already married and still are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Another banner year." Emma Swan says as she closes her eyes to make a wish on her birthday cupcake.   
'I wish I wasn't alone anymore'

As soon as she has opened her eyes and blown out the candle, the door bell rings.   
She frowns and quickly glances down at her cupcake, before heading to the door to see who it is. Unlocking the door and pulling it open she finds no one there, until a noise causes her to glance down. 

'No I'm mistaken, he just looks the same. It cannot be him'. Emma thinks to herself. 

"Are you Emma Swan?". The young boy standing in her doorway asks. 

'No please please don't be who I think you are'

"Yes, who are you?." Emma asks, even though she is sure she knows exactly who the young boy is. 

"My name is Henry, Henry Mills. I'm your son." He grins up at Emma after he has spoken. 

'Shit, shit, shit, shit. Just close the door, Emma. He will not be there when you open it again. You are just imagining it's him because you are lonely.'

Without answering Henry, Emma quickly slams the door in his face before turning around to lean against the back of the door. Taking short, quick breaths to calm herself.   
Another knock is banged against the door. 

"Are you going to let me in to talk? Or shall I stay out here all night making small talk through the door?." Henry asks through the closed door. 

Turning around, Emma takes a deep breathe before she opens the door again to find Henry smiling up at her. 

"Um, where is your mom kid?" 

"At home." Henry explains, before pushing past a confused Emma and walking into her home fully. Emma follows him into the kitchen still shocked about why he is here and why he is alone.

"Okay so pack a bag, go to the toilet, grab any snacks you may need and then we can leave and head home." Henry says. 

"....Home? Pack a bag? Snacks? What are you on kid? And more importantly, why are you here alone?" 

"I'm here to take you home, duh." He explains as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, him being in her flat, five years after she walked out on them. 

"I already am home. Where's your mom really kid? Because I know she wouldn't let you be in Boston alone at your age." 

"She's back home in Storybrooke, like I have already told you. I'll explain when we get going. Now hurry and get ready, you know she won't be happy if we get back too late."

"She's expecting us?" Emma asks.

"No, well she will be expecting me. She has no idea I have come to get you though." 

 

After much begging and pleading from Henry, Emma finally agrees to take him home herself and not call the police or his mom to come and get him. When they get on the road, Emma eventually gets the answers as to why her kid has come to get her. 

"Run that by me one more time kid." Emma is having a really hard time keeping up with what her son is telling her. 

"For the fourth time, mom has gotten engaged. So I came to find you to bring you home and then you and mom can get back together and we can be a family like before." Henry hopes she has finally taken in what he is saying.

"Okay first of all how did you find me?" Emma questions him. 

"I kind of, maybe borrowed a credit card to hire someone to look for you." He quietly says. 

"Your mom is going to ground you for life when we get home. I on the other hand am pretty impressed that you managed to pull something like this off all alone at only ten years old, kid. Though stealing is wrong and you should never pull something like this again, do you have any idea how many weirdos are hanging around Boston on a Saturday night? Anything could have happened to you Henry, please don't ever put yourself in danger like that again." Emma says. 

"Would you have even cared if something did happen? You left us, we haven't seen you for years." Said Henry. 

"Of course I would care! Yeah I left you both, but that doesn't mean I don't think about you both everyday. I never stopped loving either of you and if anything ever happened to you Henry it would kill me. I love you so much and I always will, don't ever think any different." Emma reaches over and takes his hand in hers for a moment, before putting her hand back on the steering wheel. 

 

"Who is this person your mom is engaged too? Are they nasty to her, is that why you came to find me?" Emma questions. 

"No he seems nice enough, he just isn't you. It won't ever be a real family until you come back. I know I was young when you left but I have a few memories of being with you and it's just never been the same without you." 

Choosing to ignore his statement about her coming back, Emma decides to find out exactly who her wife is engaged too. 

"Who is the guy your mom is with? Is he someone I know?" Emma quizzes.

"No, he only came to town about a year and a half ago." Henry replies. 

"That's a pretty quick engagement." Emma says, confused about why her wife would choose to marry someone after only knowing them a short amount of time. The Regina she knew was always one for order and making sure things were properly planned out and secure before rushing into anything. 

"Look kid, even if he is a decent guy he can't marry your mom because she is still married to me. And there is no way I am signing divorce papers unless I think he is worthy of you both. So relax, I'll make sure you are both in capable hands before going back home." 

"Have you listened to anything I have said? I did not go through all the trouble of tracking you down just to have you leave us again. We are a family, me, you and mom. You are both meant to be together and mom won't be marrying Robin." 

Again choosing to ignore his comment, Emma decides to try and make him smile a little.  
"Robin?" Emma laughs. "What is he a bird? Or maybe Batman's sidekick?" 

It seems to do the trick and soon enough Henry is laughing too.   
"He does spend a lot of time in the forest. He must miss his fellow bird friends now he is in human form." Henry adds. 

"We can buy him some bird seed or pick some worms in the garden for him." Emma laughs again. 

 

After much bashing of the name Robin and Henry informing his other mom of all he has been up to while she has been gone, they eventually drive past the sign for Storybrooke. 

"Okay kid, here we are. Home sweet home."

"This is Grannies Diner, in case you have forgotten." She's acting really odd, Henry thinks. 

"Yes kid, I'm not that much of an idiot. I'll go inside and see if I can stay with Ruby for the night, providing she is still here and I'll get Granny to drop you off at home. There is no way your mom is going to want to see me tonight." Emma tells Henry. 

"Mom was right, you are a coward." Henry says.

"I am not!" Emma shoots back.

"Prove it then, take me home. Walk me to the front door, see mom and then come back here to meet Ruby." 

"You do know your mom will kill me right?" 

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you hadn't left us. You should really face your fears and see mom." 

"I am not afraid of Regina!" Emma exclaims. 

"Prooooove it." Henry sings. 

"Fine you win. I'm not afraid of Regina and I'll prove it by taking you home and seeing her." Emma takes a few deep breaths before pulling away from the kerb, internally panicking at the thought of seeing her wife for the first time in five years. 

Henry on the other hand is sitting in the passengers seat smiling smugly at getting his way yet again. 

'They'll be back together in no time and bird boy will be history' Henry smiles again at his perfect plan to have his moms back together and his family whole again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So massively sorry it's taken so long to get the 2nd chapter up, I had a dream I uploaded it (odd dream to have :P ) but I actually believed I had because of the dream. So I didn't realise until a while after that I hadn't even started it -.-

'Everything will be fine, just drop the kid in, say hi and drive as quick as you can to the diner. I mean she won't do anything in front of the boy, she may freak out and want to kill me when she sees me again but she won't actually kill me.... She wouldn't would she?'

 

"Are you okay? You've driven us around this block 6 times already, you do remember where home is, don't you?" Henry quizzes.   
'why is she acting so odd? Should I have left her in Boston?' Henry thinks. 

"Of course I remember, I just thought you would like some time to prepare yourself for seeing your mom. I wanted to make sure you know what you are going to tell her." Emma says, not wanting her son to know how panicked she really is. 

"I'll tell her the truth. Now stop stalling and take me home, mom will be relieved I'm back so won't shout at you too much." Henry jokes. 

Taking some more deep breaths because she's a nervous, sweating wreck Emma finally sets off on the correct course to get her son back to his mom. Driving down their old street is weird, really weird. Everything's the same, it's like she never left. 

'But you did, you left them and they are so much better off without a failure like you'. She thinks. 

 

Not wanting anyone in the house to know they are there before they step out of the car, Emma parks her faithful yellow bug away from the view of the windows. Thankful that her old home is still surrounded by bushes that will hide her from her wife a little while longer. She turns off the engine and after unbuckling her seat belt she turns in her seat to talk to her son. 

 

"I have no idea what will happen when your mom sees me again, kid. She has every right to be angry and she may not want me to see you for a few days whilst I am still in town. I just want you to know that whatever happens after now that I love you more than anything. I never stopped loving you or your mom when I left." Emma says, not wanting Henry to ever believe that she doesn't love him.

"I brought you back here for a reason, you have to show mom you love her and are worthy of her. Now stop being pathetic and pull yourself together, honestly if this is how you acted when you were with mom it's no wonder she thinks you're a coward." Henry replies before getting out of the bug and waiting for Emma to do the same . 

 

"Can totally tell that's Regina's kid." Emma says as she finally gets out of her car and follows her son up to the front gate, because lets face it, the kids in charge of this entire evening. She's just been dragged along on an adventure she wasn't even ready for. 

\----

They don't even make it half way up the front path before the door swings open and out steps the person Emma's been dreading the entire journey. Emma stops abruptly as her wife's eyes bore into her from the front porch, she looks down to the ground as Henry runs on ahead to hug his mom and tells her how sorry he is for running away. 

'She is still as beautiful as when I left'. Emma thinks as she looks up again to watch her wife and son reunite. 

"Henry, go up to your room. I'll be up soon." Regina says. 

"Sure, let me just hug her goodbye." 

"Now Henry." Regina orders him firmly, before he can head back to Emma. 

'You got this'. Henry mouths to Emma so his mom can't hear him, before he runs into the house and up to his bedroom.

 

Emma expects Regina to come outside properly and hit her, so it's a surprise to see her wife turn around and head back into the house. With the door still open Emma takes it as an invitation to head inside after Regina. 

Most of the things in the hallway are just as Emma remembers them to be, the 'Welcome to our home' mat is still on the inside of the door for people to wipe their shoes on, which Emma does before taking her black boots off and placing them just to the side of the hallway like she used to. The medium sized brown oak table is a bit further in the hallway like it's always been, on top of it is the small brown bowl for people to place their house keys and Regina's favourite vase (that Emma actually bought her one Christmas) filled with fresh Roses, which is odd because Regina hates Roses. 

'Bird boy must have bought them for her, thinking they were romantic'. Emma thinks. 

Looking up on the walls Emma notices that the family pictures on the wall are mostly the same as when she left, apart from the last two pictures that used to hang at the end of the wall that contained her in them have been replaced by one big picture of Henry and Regina with some strange man in between them both. The first three pictures are exactly the same though, the first photograph has Regina with both her parents. The second picture is of Regina holding toddler Henry, both of them are covered in ice cream and at the time of the picture being taken they were grinning at Emma, who insisted they have proof of Regina with a sticky face. Regina had actually gone mad at Emma when she'd returned home from work one night to find it hanging in the hallway, not wanting anyone other than Emma and Henry to see her that way, but for some reason had never taken it down. And finally the last picture that was there before Emma had left, contained younger Regina with her beloved childhood horse, Rocinante. 

 

Pulling herself from her thoughts she goes in search of Regina, who isn't in the hallway with her. Seeing she isn't in the living room, she turns in the opposite direction to the kitchen and pushes the door open. As soon as Emma walks in she's met with her wife glaring at her again with a glass of whisky in her hand, Emma spots another glass on the kitchen side filled with whisky and assuming it's meant for her she picks it up and drains the glass. 

 

"You're alive then. Here was me, worried for the last five years thinking you were dead." Regina says, breaking the silence. 

"Yep, alive and well." Is what Emma replies with, because really, what else can she say? 

"So what, you stole my son for the day? Decided to kidnap him for your birthday?" 

"No of course not, the kid found me. He stole a credit card and tracked me down, something about bringing me home to be a family again." Emma answers.

"You stopped being a family to us the day you abandoned us. We are happier without you, Henry doesn't need you anymore and I certainly don't. Now do what you're good at and leave!" Regina angrily shouts as she storms out of the kitchen. 

Putting the empty glass down Emma walks after Regina. Stopping in front of her wife and the open front door, she picks her boots up and decides to put them on outside.   
She turns to Regina on the way out and says "I'm not leaving till I know our son is safe, till I know this guy you're with is good enough for you both." 

"Anyone I'm with is better than you." Regina states before pushing Emma out the front door and slamming it in her face. 

As Emma sits on the front porch step and puts her boots on, Regina heads up to Henry's room to talk to him.   
Finding Henry asleep in bed, Regina tucks him in bed a bit more and plants a goodnight kiss on his forehead. Heading over to his bedroom window to close his curtains, she sees Emma standing at the end of the garden looking up into Henry's bedroom. They share a look before Emma turns and heads back to her bug. 

 

\-----

 

By the time Emma has gotten back to the diner to see if she can bunk with Ruby for the night, she finds none of the diner lights on so makes up her mind to just sleep in her bug for the night.   
Stepping out of her car, she takes her favourite red leather jacket off and pulls her front seat forward, gets into the back seats of her car and lays down with her jacket covering her like a blanket. 

"Why couldn't I have been good enough for them? Why do I ruin everything?" She says as she cries herself to sleep. 

\-----

 

Back at the family home, Henry is still fast asleep, worn out by his adventures of the day.   
Regina on the other hand, is sat on her bedroom floor, crying as she looks at family pictures of her, Emma and Henry. She picks up the first family picture that was ever taken of them, Regina is holding a new born Henry in her arms, while Emma stands next to her hospital bed.   
In the photo, Regina is sleepily smiling at the camera, Henry is asleep in his moms arms and Emma isn't even looking at the person taking their picture. Emma is looking at Regina and Henry with the biggest grin in the world. That moment had been the best of Emma's life. 

'Why did she stop loving me?' Regina thinks as she sobs, hugging the picture to her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway... thoughts? :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how close Portland is to Maine as I live in England. I googled it and it said it wasn't miles away, but if it is too far for like a car journey there and back in a day please just use your imagination :) 
> 
> It will be revealed about the Portland thing properly later on, this chapter was meant to be longer but I wanted to split it up as I didn't want to drag it on too much and make people bored and I haven't had as much time as I thought I would to post so just wanted to get a little something up :) 
> 
> Can I just say how stressful adult life is :(

It was a rapping on the window of her car that awoke Emma from her sleep. Taking a moment to realise she isn't in her comfy bed in Boston and actually crammed into the tiny back seats of her yellow bug she then slowly sits up and shakes her neck from side to side to release some of the kinks that have formed over the night from her uncomfortable sleeping arrangement. Turning to look what has woken her, she sees her best friend Ruby standing outside the car with a mug in her hand and a big grin plastered on her face. Emma pushes the front passenger seat forward so she can get to the door handle to let herself out of her car to greet Ruby. 

 

"Hey stranger," Ruby says as she pulls Emma into a one armed hug and passes the mug into Emma's free hand. "Hot cocoa with cinnamon, just how you like it." 

 

"Thanks Rubez," Emma replies after taking a long gulp of the drink. 

 

"Thought you could use it to warm you up. Follow me inside and get cleaned up in the bathroom, while I get the Diner sorted for the day."  Ruby starts to head back into the Diner as Emma closes the door of her bug and locks it before following Ruby. After taking another mouthful of her drink she places the mug on the front counter top and goes off to the bathroom to wash her face. 

 

On entering the bathroom she goes straight to the toilet to relieve herself, she hasn't been since she left Boston with Henry yesterday and it's a wonder she didn't wet herself in the night. As she's washing her hands a few minutes later she looks in the mirror above the taps and is shocked by how dreadful she looks. The makeup she had put on yesterday morning is smudged all over the place from where it has ran from Emma crying herself to sleep last night. 

_'Thank god it was only Ruby to see this mess' ._ She thinks as she leans her head down to the sink, cups warm water in her hands and splashes it on her face and scrubs hard to get rid of the evidence. 

 

Once she's satisfied with how she looks, she heads back into the main part of the Diner to help her old foster sister set up for the day. 

* * *

 

"I can't believe you are actually back. I knew Henry had been looking for you, but I never thought he'd succeed in finding you." Ruby comments as she hands the tray filled with cutlery for Emma to place on top of the napkins she's placing on the table.

 

"How did you know? Was it your credit card he used?" Emma questions as she puts a knife and fork down on one of the napkins, before her and Ruby move onto the next table. 

 

"He comes in here a lot after school, one day he was here with Regina for dinner and when he went to the bathroom Regina came to ask me if I knew where you were in order to have you sign the divorce papers. Anyway, we didn't know he had overheard but the next day when he came in for his usual after school milkshake he confronted me about it. I also have no idea what you are on about with the credit card." Ruby says.

 

"Apparently the little shit stole somebody's credit card to pay someone to find me."

 

"That's genius!" Ruby laughs, "He's like you when Granny first started fostering you. Though you never stole a credit card, your kids out doing you on being a rebel, Swanny." 

 

"It's not funny Ruby, Regina is going to kill me when she finds out just how far Henry went to bring me back. I don't even know why she didn't kill me last night, she didn't even argue really, it was weird." 

 

"Give her time, you've only just come back. She had no idea if you were even alive so it will have been a massive shock to her, she's had the night to process it and maybe she'll kill you today, if that's what you want. Or maybe Cora and Kathryn will come and get you," Ruby jokes. 

 

"It isn't funny Ruby. Regina alone will be bad enough, her mom and sister in the mix really will be the end of me."

 

"That's what happens when you abandon your wife and child. You've made this mess yourself, so toughen up and deal with it, and you created enough drama for me and Granny when you had me drive you out of town, they all thought we knew why you'd left and made life hell for us. So it's time you grow up and face the consequences of your actions."

 

"I'm sorry about that, I really am. There was no one else who would have helped me like that without wanting to know everything that was going on. I am sorry that it caused trouble for you and Granny, I didn't intend for that to happen, I just needed help to get away. Did you try and explain to Regina that you knew nothing?"

 

"Of course I tried to explain!" Ruby shouts. "All Regina cared about was the fact that you were gone and all you left behind was a note saying 'I'm sorry.'  She was hardly going to believe I knew nothing about that considering I was the one who drove you out of town." 

 

"I'm sorry," Emma says again, "If she speaks to me properly the next time I see her, I'll make sure she knows what really happened, that I told you I needed a lift into Portland and that you just thought you were dropping me off for a couple of days and really had no clue about me leaving."   

 

By this point they've finished setting all the tables in the Diner, talking whilst working really does make the job go quicker, and as Ruby goes back into the kitchen area to return the empty tray, Emma pulls up a stool to the front counter to finish her remaining cocoa, which is now practically cold. 

 

"Are you back for good then?", Ruby asks as she comes back into the main part of the Diner and stands on the staff side of the counter. 

 

"I just came here to drop Henry off last night, I told him I'd make sure this Robin guy is decent enough before leaving, but I didn't get a chance to meet him. I need to meet him and see what he's like before signing those divorce papers for Regina, then I guess I'll be back home to Boston. If he isn't decent enough I guess I'll stick around a bit to get him away from them both. I was just planning to stay for the night, but I kind of want to stay a couple more days to check on Henry. Do you think I could maybe sleep on your couch for a couple of nights?"  

 

"Actually, I moved back in with Granny a couple of months ago. Your old room from when you lived there is still in the exact condition as you left it when you and Regina moved in together, so take my house key and go get set up there. I'll need to open soon, but Granny will be in. We can talk more tonight when I get home." Ruby says, then walks down the counter to get her jacket, which is currently hung over the counter. Pulling her set of keys from one of the pockets, she throws them over to Emma for her to catch. 

 

"Thanks, I'll see you later."  Emma says when she's heading over to the door. 

 

* * *

 

 

Deciding to leave her Bug where it is, Emma turns right outside the Diner for the 5 minute walk to her old home. The one she first moved into when she was 15 and moved out of when her and Regina were 20. Every shop she passes on her walk is still the same as when she left, not one thing has changed she notices, apart from the fact that she doesn't belong here anymore. 

 

When she is outside her old home, she stands and takes a minute to compose herself. Being here again is just like when she first came to town. She's nervous and her hands are sweating. Raising her fist and giving a loud knock, Emma waits for Granny to open the door, but after waiting a couple of minutes and still no answer Emma takes Ruby's house key and makes her way inside. 

 

"Ruby? Is that you?" A voice calls from upstairs. 

 

Rather than shout up the stairs Emma walks up them and to Granny's bedroom, where she assumes she will be. Finding the door to it shut she gives a knock before turning the handle and stepping inside. What she finds shocks her. The strong woman who fostered her, the one who stood her ground and never let anyone walk over her, the one who took a chance on Emma and was the first one in her life to truly believe in her is lay in bed, swaddled in her duvet and next to her are a pair of crutches propped up by the bedside table. 

 

"You look like hell." Comes from Granny. 

 

"I could say the same about you." Emma replies. 

 

"Well, are you giving me a hug or not?"  Even on bed rest she's still the bossy woman Emma loves. 

 

Approaching slowly, like one would do a frightened child, Emma carefully leans down and wraps her arms around Granny, who has now sat up a little in bed to give Emma a proper greeting. 

 

"What happened to you?" Emma asks when after she's pulled away from the embrace. 

 

"I could ask you the same question. What the hell were you thinking running away like that? Abandoning your family, leaving your boy, you know what it's like to be left, how could you be so selfish as to put Henry through exactly what you went through?! If I wasn't so happy to see you alive I'd swing for you!" 

 

"I'm not proud of what I did okay, so please save the lecture. I know what I did was wrong and I can never make up for it, you can shout at me later, right now I want to know what happened to you and what you know about this guy who's playing house with my family." 

 

"Help me downstairs and I'll tell you, just don't mention to Ruby I was out of bed." 

 

So Emma does as she's told. She pulls the duvet back, gets the slippers from the floor and puts them on Granny's feet, then she leans down and places one of Granny's arms around her neck to help her into a proper sitting position. Once she's got her sat up she makes her way back down to Granny's feet and turns them until they are touching the floor. Then she sits on the bed next to Granny and again places one of the other woman's arms around her own neck and slowly stands them both up. 

 

"I won't break you know, you can get this show on the road a lot faster than this, Swan." Granny huffs. 

 

So Emma again does as she's told and gets on with it, practically dragging Granny down the stairs in the end, because any other pace was too slow for the older woman and when they make it to the bottom of the stairs she drags her into the living room and helps her into her black leather armchair. 

 

"Coffee?" Emma asks. 

 

"Please, don't hold back on the sugar either. Ruby's trying to make me be healthier and it's driving me up the wall. Three sugars should be enough and bring in some chocolate biscuits, she's hidden them at the back of the top cupboard, the one closest to the fridge." Granny commands. 

 

"Erm, okay? I'll be back in a minute." 

 

_'It's like I never even left'_

 

When Granny first started fostering her she was certain it was because she wanted someone to do all her housework, she was always demanding Emma clean every room, cook breakfast for everyone in the house, then go on over to the Diner and help set up for the day. It took Emma a long time to see what Granny was actually doing, she was teaching her responsibility and how to take care of herself should she one day find herself alone again. 

 

Making coffee for them both doesn't take too long as everything is thankfully in the same place it has always been, grabbing a tray out of the bottom cupboard, she places both drinks on it and then makes her way to where Ruby has stashed the biscuits and once she's retrieved them she places the packet on the tray and carries everything back into the living room.  Emma puts the tray on the coffee table first, then picks up Granny's mug and hands it to her and finally hands over the pack of chocolate biscuits that have been craved for the past week. Once she knows the other woman is settled, she picks up her own mug and sits on the black couch opposite the chair Granny is sat in.

 

"Which story do you want first?" Granny asks after she's taken a bite of a biscuit. 

 

"The one about what happened to you." Emma replies. 

 

"That little rat Leroy was shouting down the street drunk at 4am last month, so I go to the bedroom window and shout at him to keep it down, but he ignored me. Naturally I couldn't have that, I had planned on going down stairs and giving him a piece of my mind, but as I rushed out I stumbled and ended up falling down the stairs. Nothing was broken but I sprained my ankle and was ordered to stay on bed rest for six weeks just to be safe with my age, so Ruby had to move back in to help me more and take over running of the Diner. It isn't as bad as it seems, I sneak out of bed once she's headed out for the day and have a stretch in the garden. She hired someone to watch me the first few weeks, can you believe that? A babysitter at my age! 

After I threatened to cut her out of my Will if she didn't back off and stop treating me like a child, she eventually saw sense and fired the babysitter and stopped phoning in to check on me every hour."

 

"Will you be okay once you're off bed rest?" Emma asks concerned. 

 

"Of course Swan, nothing keeps me down for long. Leroy on the other hand won't be so lucky when I catch up to him!" Granny promises with a smirk. 

 

"Now, what do you know about this Robin guy?" 

 

"Well, he's a bit of a dope if you ask me. He just doesn't seem all that with it and you can tell Regina doesn't love him. I think the only reason she's with him is because she's lonely and doesn't want to raise Henry alone anymore. You don't need to be worried about him, I'm sure Regina won't need much convincing to take you back." 

 

"I didn't come back for her to take me back, I just came to make sure she and Henry were okay and that this guy was decent enough." 

 

"You know as well as I do that you and Regina are meant to be together, you may not have come here to win her back but we both know you'll never end up leaving. It's going to kill you to see her with someone else. The Emma Swan I know always fought for what she wanted and never gave up." 

 

"She deserves better than me, they both do." Emma replies sadly, tears forming in her eyes.

 

"Why did you leave?" Granny questions. 

 

"I... I can't tell you."  

 

"You can tell me anything, you know that." By now she can see that Emma is starting to cry, putting her mug and biscuit packet down she carefully stands, hobbles over to Emma and takes the seat next to her on the couch. When she's seated she pulls a crying Emma into her arms. 

 

"Let it out Swan, you're home now, I'm here," Granny kisses the top of her head when she's done speaking. 

 

 

It's 20 minutes later that Granny realises that Emma has fallen asleep on her, midway through crying she'd gone from being held in Granny's arms to laying with her head on her lap and her legs pulled up on the couch. Reaching her fingers down to Emma's blonde curls, Granny gently runs her fingers through them before deciding to take action. 

Putting her right hand into the pocket of her jogging bottoms, which she wears instead of pj's, she fishes her phone out and sends Ruby a message. 

 

**When Henry comes in the Diner after school, ask him to text Regina and ask her if she feels like joining him for dinner there. xx**

 

She doesn't have to wait long for her granddaughter to reply. 

 

**Why? x**

 

Making sure Emma's still asleep and won't know what she's up to, she then texts Ruby back. 

 

**You're going to text me later on and tell me the Diner is too busy to cope with on your own, Emma's going to offer to help out and accidentally bump into them both there ;). Let Henry in on what's going on too. xx**

 

 

"I'll make sure you get your family back, Swan. I'll make sure you fix things."  Granny promises with a smile. 

 


End file.
